Youth Outraged At “Outdated” Kapiti Expressway

Monday, 15 April 2013, 1:08 pm
Press Release: Generation Zero

15th April 2013

Youth Outraged At “Outdated” Kapiti Expressway

A nationwide youth organization has slammed government plans to build a $630 million road in Kapiti, which overrides an original transport solution that would have saved taxpayers $480 million.

Members of Generation Zero staged dinosaur-themed stunts across New Zealand today, protesting the Government’s planned Kapiti Expressway, which they say wastes valuable taxpayer money that could be better invested in public transport and walking and cycling measures.

The stunts were in response to an Environmental Protection Authority decision, released on Friday, which granted consent to proceed with the Mackays to Peka Peka expressway – a 16km stretch of road known as the Kapiti Expressway.

The planned expressway, which the Government hopes to start constructing on July 1, overrides the Western Link Road, which was consented in 2006 after 12 years of consultation with the Kapiti community and would have only cost the Government approximately $150 million.

Large images of dinosaurs were constructed in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin to symbolise the National Government’s prehistoric transport policy.

In Wellington, 2 metre high cut-out dinosaurs were positioned near Parliament at lunchtime today, where 20 young people gathered to protest the proposed roading project.

Generation Zero’s spokesperson, Louis Chambers, says that reinstating the Western Link Road would save the public valuable transport dollars: “The EPA may have consented the decision, but it should be up the public to decide whether we allow our money to be wasted on an outdated transport project like the Kapiti Expressway.”

The Government is refusing to fund popular projects like the Auckland City Rail Link, and the National Land Transport Programme 2012-15 shows that for every dollar spent on new state highways, just 5 cents will be invested in new infrastructure for rail, buses, walking and cycling.

A recent poll by UMR Research on the Mood of the Nation suggests these funding decisions are out of touch with public opinion, as the proportion of New Zealanders who want the Government to prioritise investment in public transport has doubled in the last 20 years to now outnumber those who would prioritise spending on roads.

Chambers: “New Zealanders recognise that with oil price rises forecast and the recent drought reminding us of the costs of climate change, it’s time we moved beyond a fossil fuel transport system. We can only do that if the Government abandons its uneconomic road-building obsession.”

About Generation Zero and the 100% Possible campaign
Generation Zero is an independent youth organisation seeking to catalyse action on climate change and work towards creating a zero carbon Aotearoa. For more information see:
http://generationzero.org.nz
www.facebook.com/GenerationZero
http://www.facebook.com/GenerationZero

100% Possible is a new joint campaign by Generation Zero and 350 Aotearoa, and supported by WWF, focusing on the realistic options available to start moving New Zealand beyond fossil fuels. For more information see:
http://100percentpossible.org.nz
http://100percentpossible.org.nz/

Further Information:
NZ Herald: “Support soars for spending on buses, trains”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10867504
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10867504
Coverage of New Zealand Transport Authority report showing benefit-cost ratio of 0.2
http://transportblog.co.nz/2012/10/30/MacKays to Peka Peka-expressways-bcr-is-actually-0-2/

ENDS

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